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Children and adults can have fun with a bumblebee costume. Wings, antennae and a black and yellow striped trunk make a homemade bee costume noticeable and fairly simple to construct. Use wire hangers and some craft supplies to make this costume for Halloween or your next costume party.

Steps

Part 1

Making a Bumble Bee Body

1

Start with a piece of black clothing, such as a dress, an oversized t-shirt or a black shirt and pants.

2

Purchase yellow duct tape at your local hardware store. Duct tape comes in most colors of the rainbow, and the bright yellow works perfectly for a bumblebee costume. It costs approximately $3.[1]

3

Mark a point on your black clothing across your armpits and at the bottom of your torso. Use safety pins to mark the line. Take your black clothing off and lay it on a worktable or the floor.

4

Adhere stripes of duct tape starting at the line just below your armpits and working down the shirt. The parallel stripes should be approximately three inches (7.5cm) apart.

5

Turn the shirt or dress over and connect the front strips of tape with strips in the back. Press down on all the strips to ensure they adhere completely. Excessive pulling and reattaching the tape will result in a less durable costume.

Don’t forget to remove the safety pins that you used to measure your trunk.

6

Pick out black pants or tights and black shoes.

Part 2

Making Antennae

1

Purchase a yellow headband, black and yellow pipe cleaners and yellow pom poms at the craft store. You can also make a black version if you can’t find a yellow headband.

2

Wrap the bottom of a yellow pipe cleaner around the top of the headband. Measure two inches (5cm) from the center of the headband. Secure it with superglue at the top of the headband and wait for it to dry.

3

Wrap a black pipe cleaner in a spiral around the yellow pipe cleaner. Attach large yellow pom poms to the top of the pipe cleaners with superglue.[2]

4

Twist the pipe cleaners around your fingers before wearing. It will give them extra bounce when you move.

Part 3

Making Wings

1

Find several wire hangers. Grasp the top of the triangle with one hand and the bottom of the base with the other hand. Pull them apart as wide as you can to make two oblong wing shapes.

2

Stretch out the hook on the top of each hanger. Set them in a Y shape on the floor and twist the hooks around each other in the center.

3

Purchase black pantyhose. Yellow pantyhose will also work, but it’s harder to find.

4

Stretch one leg of the pantyhose over each oblong shape. If your pantyhose stretches fairly well without breaking, you can use one leg for each wing and let the top of the pantyhose connect over the center section. If you can’t, use one pair for each wing and cut off excess hose.

5

Paint the pantyhose with clear Mod Podge to make it more resistant to tears. Sprinkle glitter on them while it is wet for an extra shine.[3]

6

Find black elastic straps at your local craft store. Wrap one strap around your arm and pin it behind the center part of the wing. Repeat with the opposite side.

Ask a friend to help you secure your elastic straps with safety pins.

The straps should feel very secure when they are looped over your arms.

7

Sew the straps to the center section of the wings for a secure hold. The straps should be sturdy enough to be taken on and off continuously if they are hand sewn around the metal divider.

Tips

You can start with a yellow dress or shirt and use black duct tape, if you prefer.

You can also sew strips of fabric to a shirt or dress with a sewing machine if you want the costume to be worn regularly. Cut the back of the outfit away from the front for easy sewing. Use matching thread and sew around the strips on. Then, attach the front and back sections, where the strips meet.[4]